Path Beyond Knighthood
by PAR1687
Summary: AU sort-of . Basically follows the same direction as the movie, but with the added character of Lirianna. I stink at summaries, and for this I'm sorry. I can say its a romance, action, adventure story centering on Liri and everyone's fav. knight Tristan!
1. Chapter 1: Unafraid of a Dark Horizon

Disclaimer:I don't own King Arthur or any of its characters. The King Arthur movie is the property of Touchstone Pictures.

There is no copyright infringement intended!I do own the story itself and the characters of Lirianna and Non-King Arthurian types.

It is based on the 2004 movie and my own imagination! I do not intend to rip off any other writer; therefore if this premise has been done before, I'm sorry this is unintentional

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, ETC., SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please!

Chapter 1: Unafraid of a Dark Horizon

The bright morning sun broke through the gloomy cloud of a British morning, bathing the bleak hillside and the lone rider upon it with an eerie gray and orange-tinged haze. Lirianna reined her dark steed, Kale, to a halt, before shifting in her mount to face the crimson glow that was spreading its tendrils over the world. The warmth that hit her stinging cheeks felt as soothing as a mother's loving touch. It had been a cold windy, sleeting type of rain these past four days, and the comforting feeling that the sun brought seemed to thaw the sickening cold that had penetrated into Lirianna's bones. She hated these scouting missions with a passion. It was true enough that she enjoyed riding her beloved horse and escaping the confines of that dreadful Roman household; but it seemed to her that the worst of things happened when she was away. Tears began to pool in her cerulean-blue eyes, before spilling down her wind-blown cheeks. It was a day much like this one, except warmer, that she had returned from a hunting mission, only to be informed that her sister had died from a fever. Her anger that day at the pious Roman priest who had conveyed the message to her with unabashed contempt on his face, had almost resulted in the severance of the man's head from his neck. Lirianna was not sure just what stayed her hand that day, but heathen as she was considered, she could not in just conscious kill the man of God before her. It was not the way of her ancestors, the man had caused her no direct harm and therefore she would return the favor. Lirianna brushed hastily at the tears before nudging her boot clad feet into Kale's sides. She would be glad at least to get a warm bath and a change of clothing, seeing as her scouting gear was sodden and travel weary. Scanning the hillside with her sharp eyes, Lirianna spotted on the distance the source of her destination. A dull looking wall with high wooden doors concealed the even drabber lands it contained.

"Ah, home sweet home Kale", she murmured bitterly. Lirianna hated this place fiercely. She was a captive here, a serf, no more than a slave who happened to have the talent to scout.

Turning sharply to enter the gates, hatred clouding her thoughts, Lirianna stopped short in her tracks at the sight of men on horseback just within the wall.

"Then Rome will send an army."

"They have. Us."

Lirianna sat anxiously still, as she listened to the tense conversation between the tall, handsome knight and Marius. Spotting William nearby, Lirianna slowly made her way towards him.

"What in the name of the goddess is going on here", she whispered harshly to the man before her.

"It's Arthur and his Sarmatian Knights. From what I gather, they have come to take Marius and his family back to Hadrian's Wall."

Lirianna blinked rapidly, lending to her appearance a stunned and somewhat dim air. "Why in the world would they be wanting to escort them back to the Wall? Marius will never leave here, he has been given far too much by the Pope himself to just abandon it."

"I have no idea, but I gather that we will know what is going on soon enough. Now, let me unsaddle that poor beast you are upon, and get him to the stable."

Lirianna slid down from Kale, patting him gently and placing a soft kiss on his neck.

Turning to head towards the small stone building that was her home, Lirianna was suddenly halted by the sound of shouting and the unsheathing of swords. Swearing to herself in her native tongue, she made her way towards the commotion. It was the tall knight again, apparently Arthur according to William. He was cutting the chains of the village elder, but this act was not what stunned Lirianna so much. Instead it was the following speech he gave about the freedom of all men that caused her such restlessness. What did this man know of freedom, of the plight of those who have none?

"And what of you, great Arthur, are you yourself free, to do as you please?"

Lirianna surprised even herself with her comment.

Noble green eyes turned to stare upon the lovely face before him. A small frown creased his handsome features before he turned away from the woman and began to look at the sea of faces around him.

"Now hear me. A vast and terrible army is coming this way. They will show no mercy, spare no one. Those of you who are able should gather your things and begin to move south towards Hadrian's Wall. Those unable shall come with us."

Lirianna's breath caught in her chest, she had seen a few lone Saxons riding about, but had chalked it up to deserters. Now looking back, they were obviously scouts. 'How damned stupid could you be Liri', she thought to herself. Now they could all be dead because of her mistake.

Arthur turned to Ganis, making him in charge of gathering the villagers together.

"Right, you heard him. You go grab enough food and water for the journey. Let's get a hurry on, else we're all dead! Come on, hurry."

Striding briskly into her small house, Lirianna knelt beside her cot and pried the loose floorboards up underneath. Feeling around in the cold ground, her hands finally grasped the carved horse ornament that hung from a single leather string. This was her last and only surviving memory of her homeland. Rising from the floor, she turned towards the wooden chest sitting neatly across the room. With no amount of respect, she threw the lid back unceremoniously and grabbed a handful of clothing and various weapons from within its depths. Half running back outside, Lirianna found that William had the horse waiting and re-saddled for her. Tossing the clothing in her pack on Kale, Lirianna went about placing her two broad short-swords in their sheaths and adding them to the growing pile on the poor beast's back. Idly grasping the handle of the katana at her side, Lirianna slowly traced the intricate pattern that decorated its gleaming surface. This, with the exception of her bow, was her favorite weapon. It possessed a nature of its own, one of grace and power. Her father had said, as he handed it to her on the day of her departure for Britain, that it was much like its new owner. Again, those blasted tears sprang to her eyes, causing them to appear even more luminous and bright. Ah, how she missed her father. Leon had been a good man and a great warrior, but more importantly he had been the best father anyone could ask for. Her thoughts of her father were interrupted abruptly though as her eye caught Arthur instructing a massive man with a scar over one eye and a enormous axe towards a small building on the outskirts of the village.

"Key." The look in Arthur's bright green eyes was frighteningly fierce, even to a warrior such as herself.

"It is locked. From the inside."

Nodding his black curls aggressively at the man and the door blocking the way before him, Arthur signaled the go-ahead for breaking into the claimed "holy place".

The big man kicked at the wooden door a mere two times before it caved in, opening up into a dark and narrow tunnel. A small flicker of light could be seen within, but the glow was dim and held an eerie greenish tint that did nothing to expel the penetrating darkness. Monastic chants echoed from down the passageway and floated creepily out to swirl among the softly drifting snow.

Despite herself, Lirianna shivered slightly before pulling her long black woolen cape closer together over her generously curved frame.

"Nice sword."

Lirianna jerked her tousled black curls over her shoulder as she turned sharply at the man standing near, gazing at her side.

"Thank you", she said quietly, her blood pounding in her ears. The knight before her was terribly handsome, in an intense kind of way. His dark hair fell into dangerous looking brown eyes that seemed even more intimidating due to the tattoos that lay just beneath them on his high cheekbones.

"It was a gift, from a great warrior."

The dark knight simply nodded his head before adding, "I'm Tristan".

"Lirianna." Her name rolled off of her tongue with ease, which surprised her seeing as her mouth felt as if it were full of sand. What in the name of the goddess was wrong with her? She was a grown woman of twenty and one summers, not a shy maiden anymore. She glanced quickly back up at the man, catching him as he in turn glanced at her. Her bright blue eyes locked with deep brown ones in a unspoken challenge. What soon surprised her though was the darkness that began to creep into his eyes. She had seen that look before; a hunger that all men must satisfy.

Tristan stared blatantly at the sapphire eyes that held him captive. Gods be damned, she was beautiful. Her intense blue eyes and lustrous dark curls only leant more depth to the fairness of her pale skin. She was dressed in solid black leather gear, and at her side hung one of the most magnificent blades he had seen, excluding Excalibur and his own sword of course. His began to feel his blood stir as his own eyes began to grow dark from his desire. 'Get a hold of yourself, old man. You are sure to be almost ten years her senior. Besides, no proper Sarmatian scout would allow himself to get tangled up in the affairs of a woman, no matter how fiercely her eyes shone at him.' Tristan gazed pensively at the stunning creature standing in front of him one last time. With a shake of his dark head and an almost inaudible chuckle, he turned to swing back up into the saddle of his horse.

Lirianna's cheeks burned furiously at his boldness, yet deep within she knew that she admired him for it. Not many men were so forthright with a woman like herself, but did she really expect any less from a Sarmatian?

The sounds of shouting could be heard from inside before being followed by hurried footsteps out into the lingering cold.

Arthur came out first, holding in his arms what appeared to her as nothing more than a pile of gray, dirty rags. That was until the bundle moved as it was laid gently on the ground, and a pale face began to materialize from the filthy depths. Arthur was yelling for water and was pouring it gently down the face's mouth, before recognition and true understanding hit Lirianna with full impact.

"Guen", she breathed softly, as if saying the name louder would make this realization untrue.

A knight of soft manner with long blond hair turned to her, "You know this woman?"

However, his words were lost on the scout as she made her way slowly to the woman who still lay on the ground.

"Goddess be praised! Guen, you're alive!"

The words tumbled out of her mouth and she was bending low to hug the shivering form of her sister before she was even aware of what she was doing.

"She's a Woad." The words came quietly from behind Lirianna's head. It was that dark knight with the tattoos. What was his name again….Tomas, Thorn, ….Tristan! Yes, that was it, Tristan.

Turning her eyes up to met his, Lirianna's voice came out harshly cold, and deathly quiet.

"Fucking Sarmatian bastard. Do you all plan to kill her now that you have found out she is your supposed enemy?" The last part she directed at Arthur in particular.

Lirianna saw the honor as well as, the shame in the man's eyes.

"The Woads are not your enemy, Knights. The sooner you all understand that, the better this land will be. The better all of our people will be."

She looked directly into the dark knight, Tristan's, brooding eyes. She was held captive by them, held in by what felt like some terrible sway. He was like her. He knew his boundaries, and fought hard to keep them. At least, he was like how she used to be. That was until she came to Britain, became just as much of a Woad as the great Merlin himself. Now,…now she knew not where the line of propriety ended and the one for indecency began. Things were no longer so black and white for her. Merlin had taught her to see the gray areas, and now she wished to the goddess he had not. Because, instead of seeing these Knights of Arthur's as a simple black and white issue, as a threat. She saw them as possible saviors, for all the Woads, …for all of Britain even. She needed them, whether she wished to admit it or not. Her thoughts were clouding up her mind, but they were soon enough interrupted by the harsh voice of Marius.

"What is this madness? They're all pagans here!".

His voice was loud, and gratingly annoying to Lirianna. Her hatred beginning to take control. Over her, and over her sword.

"They refuse to do the task God has set for them. They must die as an example", Marius continued, now talking directly to Arthur.

Hrmph, Lirianna thought to herself. What would this Roman do now? He spoke of justice and equality of all men, yet would he be so bold now as to go against his fellow Roman, to stand up for Guenivire?

Arthur's bright green eyes became deathly violent. "You mean they refuse to be your serfs!", he roared, his voice as commanding as legend had described it to be.

Marius sputtered. Looking around incredoulsy at the lot surrounding him, before turning his attention back to Arthur, he said, "You are a Roman, you understand. And you are a Christian."

Lirianna could stand it no more. Could take no more of the man's insane ramblings about Roman society, or the "Will" of God. She bounded across to where he stood, in such a flash of black, that no one even noticed her before she had knocked Marius to the ground, and was standing over him. The bright silver gleam of her sword stood out in stark contrast to the bleary weather.

"Argh. You Roman filth ", the scream torn from her throat. "You don't even deserve to live". The point on her blade was dangerously close to slashing his deceiving head from his body, and was about to. That was until Lirianna looked up, at the knights around her. Their hands readied on their weapons. From the look in all of their eyes, they felt as she did about the man. But yet, they were still willing to protect him. He was their salvation. Their way out of this life. They had to bring him and his family back to safety. It was as simple as that.

Drawing the blade back, Lirianna spat on the ground next to the prostrate man. "You don't deserve to live", she repeated. "But they do", indicating to the soldiers with her blade. "I will not risk their freedom from this Roman-oppressed life, just so I can have my vengeance on the likes of you. But mark my words, oh great Marius. There will come a day, when the freedom of another does not stay my hand. And when that day comes, you had best be prepared to meet this god of yours, and hope he doesn't hold you too heavily to all your sins committed; to all the sins that I one day will!"

Lirianna stepped cautiously away from him, her sword still drawn, as if daring any of the man's pathetic excuses for guards to punish her for her display. 'Ha, let them try', she thought silently, her blade twitching in her hand, as the life-force within it itched for the spilling of blood. After all, wasn't that what great swords were meant to do?! But not today, at least not now. Her blade would have to wait to have its wish fulfilled. For now, there were more important things to worry about, …like escaping the impending armies of the Saxons.

"Liri", Guinevere's voice cracked out.

She looked back at her sister, who was now cradled safely in the arms of the knight, Arthur. Lirianna blinked back her tears of anger and remorse, before turning on her heel and striding off towards her horse.

"You had better not so much as break a hair from her head", she called back over her shoulder to Arthur, and in part, to the remaining knights who were eyeing her sister warily still.

She heard a sigh from the intense one, Tristan. Her violet eyes locked with his for a moment, daring him to make even the slightest move. Eyes as dark and smooth as velvet stared back hard, the flame from earlier in them ignited even more so.

Lirianna saw his mouth curl up quietly, before muttering something that sounded strangely like "Women", under his breath. Flushing slightly, she gulped in harsh, cold breaths of winter air. He was doing it again; getting to her in a way that she could not explain. She was tough, a warrior, should not a warrior be immune from such inane trivialities? Although, if she admitted it to herself, Lirianna knew she was not born a warrior. She had been born something else, something more. But the severity of this land, of this life had caused her to change, had forced her to be cold and calculating.

Her long black lashes floated down, lying warmly against her cool cheek. Through the darkness, she let herself relax. Her shoulders eased, and her breathing became regular once more. Stress was not an option for her. Stress caused one to mess up, and messing up caused people to get hurt, or worse, killed.

Finally opening her eyes, Lirianna was pleased to find the dark knight with his back to her, speaking low to the blond one. What threw her off though, was the sight of the large man with a scar over one eye, carrying the orphan boy, Lucan, gently in his arms. Her bright eyes met his warm ones, and in that instant she knew she had found a forever friend. She could see all the good that came off of him, and could not help but think of the injustice that a place like Rome had put on such a gentle man. To force him to kill, to become a murderer without care or reason, to act on such violence simply because they were his orders. She could look into his warm depths and know that this man was no enemy of the Woads, and for once Lirianna began to feel the warmth of hope spread like a blazing fire within her heart.


	2. Chapter 2: Afraid of the Unknown

Disclaimer: I don't own King Arthur or any of its characters. The King Arthur movie is the property of Touchstone Pictures. There is no copyright infringement intended!

I do own the story itself and the characters of Lirianna and Non-King Arthurian types

It is based on the 2004 movie and my own imagination! I do not intend to rip off any other writer; therefore if this premise has been done before, I'm sorry this is unintentional

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, ETC., SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please!

Chapter 2: Afraid of the Unknown

Lirianna leaned wearily into her worn saddle. She was tired, and so was Kale. The snow that had started as a light swirl, had turned gradually into a soft powder, before ending in a snow and rain mixture that cascaded down, creating a slick icy pathway that was as unpleasant as it was dangerous. They needed to stop, and soon. Although, Lirianna knew that it would be best if they pressed on, despite this fact. The Saxons would not rest until they found them; and with all the extra people crowding the road, their journey was slow and tedious. It would not be long before their enemy was quick on their heels, and she just prayed that when the time came, that the experience of these soldiers of legend was not just hearsay.

She stopped by the carriage that was pulling Guinevere, whose pale face shone through the wooden slats of the wagon. She was sleeping, that was good, Lirianna thought silently. Friendly eyes met hers through the bars. It was the big man again. He was tending to Lucan. His instant devotion to the boy was endearing.

"Hello", he called softly to her.

Lirianna inclined her head in acknowledgement.

"How is the boy", she asked in return.

The man looked down at the quietly moaning form of the slight child. "He burns. A fever has taken a hold of him."

The concern in the man's voice tugged on her cynical heart. "Lucan is a strong boy", she said finally, "the blood of Woads runs in him. He will overcome the darkness of heat, mark my words."

The man smiled gently up at her, nodding once at her comment. "My name is Dagonet", he said.

Lirianna smiled in return, the first genuine smile she had bestowed on anyone in a while.

"Lirianna", she returned.

Again he simply nodded. He seemed to her to be a man of few words, which was perfectly fine with her. She wasn't one for conversation much either, or at least she wasn't much anymore. With a final salute to the man, Lirianna pulled on Kale's reins, leading him forward.

Her eyes glanced up at Arthur and his handsome, mysterious friend with the unruly black curls. Both were peering back at the cart carrying her sister, and at her it seemed. Her clear eyes met theirs' boldly with a quirked brow of interest, causing Arthur to turn back around with a slight shake of his head, and the womanizing one to throw her a slight smile and a hazy-eyed look of lust. Lirianna bit back a laugh, choosing instead to kick into the flanks of Kale, and race past the two towards the front of the line. She knew these lands, and she knew that there was a small, secluded forested area up ahead. It would have to suffice for shelter for the night. Because, as much as she wished to continue on until they reached this mysterious wall of the knights, Lirianna knew that the people could not continue on much more without a proper rest.

She noticed a dark figure farther ahead, and almost instantly recognized it as the man from earlier. The one with the piercing eyes and black slashes of tattoos under them. Tristan. A bird, a hawk at that, was perched companionably on his forearm, and he was talking to it in a soft, gentle voice. The hawk rested comfortably on her perch for a few seconds more, before taking off in a graceful flutter of swift wings into the swirling snow and ice. He sat stonily still on his horse watching the animal in the air, his posture a perfect form, even to her who sat ramrod straight herself on her own mount.

"Why do you defend the Woads?", he asked suddenly, not even bothering to turn around towards her.

Lirianna held her breath. How could she even begin to answer a question like that?

"Wouldn't you defend your people", she asked simply.

He turned then, to cast curiously quiet eyes on her. "They are not your people."

The statement shocked her, as she inhaled quickly, a mistake she knew. It was a move that gave her away.

"I don't know what you are talking about", she answered curtly, moving to pass him.

"Hmm, never figured you for a liar", he said softly to her retreating figure, his words as faint and cold as the snow on which they floated.

She stopped suddenly, her violet eyes filling with a sadness that she had tried to hide for years now. Turning slightly, her profile facing him more than her actual face, Lirianna allowed a lone tear to trickle down her frosty cheek. "They are all the people I have now."

The words were sorrowful, and they hung between them like a thick curtain.

He will never understand, she thought to herself.

She will never trust anyone enough to let them understand, he thought to himself.

Each wrapped up in their own thoughts about each other, to notice the fast approaching knights on horseback.

"We'll camp here tonight", Arthur said, intruding suddenly into Lirianna's solitude.

She looked up at Tristan once more through wet lashes, catching his sharp eyes already on her. She let her gaze drop, before pounding off in the direction of the trees, sending snow and ice to fleck the faces of the knights behind her.

"I like that one", Lancelot said with a smug, self-assured smile. "Think I'll…"

Tristan glared up at him, his eyes boring into the assured dark orbs of his brother knight, "Don't even think about it".

Bors snorted a laugh, "Horny little bugger", he said under his breath, causing Gawain and Galahad to share a short smirk with one another.

Lancelot looked over at the group, his black eyebrows arching into sharp slashes above his eyes, "If you like her so much Old Scout, maybe you should go after her yourself".

Tristan said nothing. No twitch of a brow, no smirk of his lips gave away that the man had even heard the comment. There was not a movement from the still scout, except for the quietly twitching knife in his right hand and the tightly grasped green apple in his left.

Arthur threw up a silent hand, "Knights", his commanding voice said in a low tone.

Bors laughed once more, a blunt, harsh laugh before galloping off towards the sheltering trees. Gawain and Galahad were fast on his trail, each laughing heartily at the scene they had left behind them.

Arthur cast brilliant green eyes on first his best friend, and then on his best scout. "We have work to do. Keep away from the girl if you must."

Lancelot smiled good naturedly, "Come on Arthur, I'm not really interested in the girl."

"Then best leave her be", Tristan spoke up. For one that hardly spoke, his restrained voice was being heard more and more today.

The curly-headed knight inclined his head, "Only because you've asked so nicely Tris".

"Lancelot, … Tristan", Arthur warned the two, before following the trail of people, and the wagon holding the frail girl woman with the sharp tongue, named Guenievere.

Lirianna smiled proudly at the makeshift shelter she had created for herself. The lean-to tent was held up by a huge, ancient oak that sat firmly in the middle. A roaring fire in a stone pit was at one end, a pallet and bedroll at the other. And there in the center, between the tree and the blazing heat of the fire, was a crude wooden tub William had snuck into the small cart of his. Goddess Bless Him, Lirianna thought fondly of the wizened, old man. The clean snow had melted in the tub, and now stood luxuriously warm thanks to the fire. Rising steam beckoned the weary young woman with its curling tendrils . With a sigh, she gratefully stripped of the mud-caked, dirty black leather and slipped between the satiny warmth of the water. She unrolled her tightly bundled curls, marveling at how long her hair had gotten. Its midnight tips floating around in the sudsy water. Lirianna wanted to soak it all away, to just sit in this steaming tub for hours, but knew that wasn't an option. She had to check on Guen, as well as Lucan. And something to eat wouldn't be a bad idea either. Scrubbing her grimy skin and even dirtier hair, Lirianna was pleased at the bright pink glow her skin had become as she stepped out of the tub and into a deep crimson gown. Brushing her wet curls back from her face with her fingers, she took a deep breath and lugged the heavy tub out into the still falling snow. Two dark figures in the shadow of the the nearby trees caught her eye. It was Guenievere and that knight, Lancelot. Hrmph, it didn't appear as if her sister needed to be visited on her sickbed afterall. With a small smile to herself, Lirianna stood up, tugging at her cloak for added warmth. She just hoped that Guen would be careful, no matter what she did, or rather who she did. The chill of the air nipped at her face, and caught itself in her now glossy curls, blowing them about her head like a dark and sinister halo.

Tristan sat with his back to the tree, Bors to his left, Gawain to his right, and Galahad directly in front of him. The fire, on which a few rabbits cooked, blazed between them all, but it created little warmth against the cold air. But it didn't matter, not to him, not to any of them. They were used to discomfort. It would all be over soon though, all of this. And then they could actually get to live for once. A sudden movement, a glimpse of floating dark hair and swirling red fabric flashed against the trees. And the sight suddenly filled Tristan with more warmth than any mere fire could do. It was her. The girl with the bright eyes, and even brighter sword. She made his very blood boil. It had been a long time since he had been with a woman, especially a woman as beautiful as her. That is if he had even been with one that could compare in the least. At this point he didn't care that he was older than her by surely almost ten years, he didn't care that he was a Sarmatian knight and her a supposed Woad. No, all he cared about was the way her breath caused her full chest to rise and fall, the way her hips swayed seductively without her even knowing it, the way her rounded bottom filled her clothes, whether it be black leather or a flowing red gown. He felt his desire flame, felt it grow hot, so hot he was sure it melted the very snow beneath him.

"Hmm", he heard Gawain murmur beside him. "Will you look at that? Now there is a beautiful woman if ever I have seen one. Think the Sarmatian women will be half as handsome as she?"

Bors snorted into his wine cup, " She's s'alright I suppose".

Galahad looked over his shoulder, before staring back moodily into the flames. "Aye, she's pretty. Although, she scares me a bit you know. Too quite for a woman, too hard for one too."

"We all know how you like your women soft Galahad", Gawain spoke again, a chuckle in his voice as he turned the spit over the fire carefully.

"S'coming over here ye know, so shut it", Bors said again.

Four pairs of eyes looked up quickly, each focusing on her as she approached.

Lirianna took in a quick breath. She felt uneasy, nervous almost. Though, she wasn't quite sure why.

"Hungry", the blond one asked her, indicating a place on the log beside him and the multiple brazened rabbits that cooked above the open flame. They smelled delicious, causing her mouth to water in anticipation.

She nodded once, before sitting down quietly beside him.

"I'm Gawain by the way. And that there is my cousin, Galahad."

The young looking one shot her a wary eye, before bestowing a slight smile and an inclination of his curly head.

"Bors", the big one said, not even bothering to raise his head from his cup.

"Lirianna."

She said it quietly. Not saying anything else. She didn't know what else to say: 'Hello, I'm a Woad. Your enemy I suppose. Although, not really. Because, according to your dark scout over there, I'm actually lying…' She didn't picture that conversation going over too well.

They all sat in silence, listening to the fire crackling and the nearly done rabbit spitting and sputtering its juices into the flames. Her eyes darted to the scout. Tristan's dark eyes were molded to the fire, until suddenly they were not. They were staring back hard at her. She felt that bottom drop feeling in her stomach again. Her teeth clamped down on her lips agitatedly, as her breathing came in short puffs. How the hell could this man do this to her? Never. Never had she felt like this before. And she hardly even knew him! Other than the fact that his eyes shone a pure fire, and that his long, lean body was perfectly at home atop a horse. She knew that his sword was not just a piece of metal, but rather an extension of his whole body. He was devoted to his brothers in arms, and would defend them to the death. His soul was wrapped up in a bird, and his mind was wrapped up in a war that was not his. He was brave, and true, and loyal. And mostly, when he looked at her like he was now, he made her forget who she was, and made her want to be in his bed and under his body.

"Lirianna", Gawain said, handing her a cup of wine and a piece of the roasted hare.

She blinked rapidly, before taking the food and drink gratefully. Her stomach rumbled loudly as the smell of the succulent meat rose up to tempt her nostrils.

"Sounds like someone's 'ungry eh", Bors said loudly, winking at her as he dug into his own food with relish.

Oh she was hungry alright, but not for some mere brazened rabbit. No, she was more hungry for something, or rather shall we say someone. And that thought terrified her, something no scout should ever be,


	3. Chapter 3: Dreams Unbounded

Disclaimer: I don't own King Arthur or any of its characters. The King Arthur movie is the property of Touchstone Pictures. There is no copyright infringement intended!

I do own the story itself and the characters of Lirianna and Non-King Arthurian types

It is based on the 2004 movie and my own imagination! I do not intend to rip off any other writer; therefore if this premise has been done before, I'm sorry this is unintentional

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, ETC., SO READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL.

All reviews, and constructive criticism, gratefully received – but no flaming please!

Chapter 3: Dreams Unbounded

**Smoke. Thick, black billows of the stuff. Choking her, burning her nose, her mouth, her lungs. Mama dead, her body strewn like left-over rubbish across the High King's bed; her copper hair floating against the thick furs, her bright violet eyes blank and void. **

"**Papa", she screamed. "Papa." A girl child, no more than ten, with raven's wing curls and forget-me-not eyes. Her bony fingers clutched tight around a ornamental dagger, its short hilt decorated with bright rubies. **

"**Lirianna", a big bear of a man, with equally dark hair and beard came running in, a long, bloodied sword in his right hand, a short, blunt axe in his other. **

"**My child", the man said, as he knelt quickly in front of the girl. "You must leave. Go by the servants' quarters, down through the tunnel. At the end you will find my man bearing my signet ring waiting for you with Kale."**

**The girl let out a stifled whimper. "But Papa", she pleaded. "What of you, and of my brothers, Eorn and Tragon." **

**The man encircled massively muscled arms around the shivering figure. "Be brave, Daughter. Do not worry about your brothers and I. And do not let these pigs see you cower in fear. You are a great princess. The blood of many warriors flows through even you, a girl child. Here, take this sword Liri", he handed her the gleaming katana. "Let her become as much a part of you as your very own soul, do you hear me. That my dear child, is the key. To bond with this powerful weapon, and to know and understand its spirit. Only then will you outlive your enemies."**

**A crash. The roof falling in. Men in chain mail and harsh furs storming in. **

"**Now Lirianna. Now, you must go now!" **

**By the next morning, the girl was on her way to Britain. And the great Veneti High King Leon, was rotting on a stake outside of the ruins of his once grand and beloved castle. **

She woke with a start. The flames had long since died around her, leaving her body cold and chilled. But that was not what caused Lirianna to awaken. It was the presence of another that made her do so.

"You", she said quietly in the stillness of the night that surrounded her on either side.

The figure was crouched near the almost dead embers, trying to coax a fire to once more roar its warmth upon the small enclosure.

"Yes", was the whisper of a reply she received. The man's stooped body stood slowly from the now blazing log, and even in his old age, he struck an impressive figure.

"Merlin", she breathed, kicking back the furs that swathed her. Her bare feet padded lightly, and somewhere in the back of her mind Lirianna was aware of the cold that nipped at her bare legs. "I have missed you", she said, as she wrapped her arms around his lean torso.

The words were true, sincere in their nature. It had been so long since she had last seen him…, too long thanks to that Roman bastard Marius.

"Ah, and I you, my dear child."

She stepped back, and looked up into his bright eyes. "How did you come here, Father", she whispered, suddenly afraid for the safety of the high priest before her. "Sarmatian knights are everywhere. If they even suspect that you are here, they will not hesitate to kill you. You must leave. You must go now, before it is too…"

He held up a commanding hand, stopping her flow of words with the simple gesture.

"There is peace this night between Arthur Castus and the Woads", Merlin said with a simple carefree wave of his fingers, as if there had never been any bad blood between the two for this many years.

Lirianna blinked, "Just like that? He let you come in here, just like that Merlin".

The man let out a short laugh, "You were always the one to know exactly how things were done. It drove your mother crazy, it did. Not like Guinevere at all, except for your loyalty to your people that is."

She blushed slightly at his words. Her mother; Merlin's wife, Bidelia . But yet not her mother. She mentally shook her mind from her thoughts; of course Bidelia, the High One, had been her mother, just as Merlin was her father. Blood no longer mattered, it went deeper than that for her, as it had for the past decade now.

"Child", he continued to speak, forcing her out of her reveries. "There is a force that moves against us. Against the Woads. Against all of Britain."

Lirianna drew in a deep breath. There was always a force moving against the Woads, usually in the form of Sarmatian knights who rode under the banner of Rome.

"Who is it now?", she said with a sudden hesitancy to her voice. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what terrible evil was going to swoop down on her people this time.

"Saxons. A massive incursion to the north", Merlin said quietly, his voice deathly quiet, his eyes pensive.

A tremor started through her whole body, shaking her violently with it. Saxons. The last time she had seen a Saxon incursion, the golden-haired devils were burning her home and all her childhood memories with it.

"What can we do", she murmured. "Against such forces, how can we survive? What of Rome? Will they send an army? Will they fight for the lands they so freely stole?"

The Romans, her enemy just as much as the Saxons. But they were her only hope. The Woads were in need of a leader; they were not ready, not trained enough, to take out an entire Saxon army. How could they possibly fight a battle against them, and even consider a victory from it?

She searched the lined and weather-worn face before her; trying in vain to find some small glimpse of hope, anything… She found nothing. Even before he shook his head in rejection, she knew that help would not come from the cowards called Romans.

Her mind raced, back and forth, over and over. Then it hit her. Why Merlin was here, why he had called for peace between Arthur and his men. That was the hope he searched for, the hope that she sought so desperately to use to save her people.

"The Knights", she finally said. "You want their help."

Merlin nodded. "Yes. So it seems that the enemy of our most feared enemy is our friend. We cannot face the Saxons without Arthur Castus and his great knights. We need them Lirianna, And so it must be that we now accept them."

She paced, like a caged animal that wants to be free. That was how she felt, trapped. Trapped by her hatred for the Saxons. Trapped by her fierce loyalty to her people, even unto her death. Trapped by Arthur and the Knights. Trapped by dark, brooding eyes that even now as she considered death by Saxon hands, fought their way into her mind, to scorch her very heart with their blistering heat.

She had dined with the men tonight. Had somehow, felt like she bonded with them. Now, she needed to trust them.

With a quick nod of her head, Lirianna looked back up at Merlin.

"I hope the Sarmatians do not fail us."

A sad look came into his eyes, clouding them over, "They cannot fail us, child. Or we shall all die from it". With those final words, he made a small bow to her, before clutching his walking stick tightly and walking regally out of the tent.

Lirianna sighed to herself, running a weary hand through her curls and over her pale face.

Her mind was as drained as her body it seemed, and yet she knew that sleep would not come easy again this night. Lying back against the warmth of her make-shift bed, the woman concentrated hard on trying to sleep. But alas, dreams evaded her. It wasn't even dawn yet, of that she had seen from the sky when Merlin had exited. Thick blackness hung about still, dark and inky. No tinge of light's soothing touch had even crept against the grain of the sky yet.

"Damn it", she said savagely, her voice echoing eerily in the emptiness of the tent.

A head popped suddenly in through the flap of the door, causing Lirianna to raise a readied sword.

"Easy now", Dagonet said quietly. "Just making sure you were alright."

She dropped the sword as quickly as she had drawn it. "What in the name of the Goddess are you doing up Knight", she asked as she lay back against her soft pallet once more. The sight of a beautiful woman lying half-clothed on a pile of sumptuous furs would have been enough to send any of the other men into a lust filled frenzy. Any man that is except Dagonet. He was not a man who thought with lusts. No, he was more a man who thought with a clear, and level head.

"I should ask you the same question Lirianna", he challenged back, as he stalked softly to take a seat by her feet near the warmth of the fire.

She let out a harsh sigh, one that was filled with many emotions. Hate, fear, anger, sadness, grief, longing…

She raised up on one bare arm, her palm cradling her head as her violet eyes bore into him. "I need your help, Dag. I need their help."

The words floated between them, and hung on the frosty air. Her voice was deep and hoarse sounding, and Dagonet wondered how much sorrow this plea for help had been giving her.

"You have my help, my lady. Any daughter of the great Veneti's will always have my axe as her protector."

Lirianna's eyebrows shot up, before knitting together. "How long", she asked, "How long have you known?".

He chuckled, a warm rumbling sound, that belied his harsh looking demeanor. "Since the very first, my lady. Since I saw that sword at you side. Since I saw the inscriptions on your horse's bridle. And now, since I have seen those tattoos on your upper leg."

She glanced down at her bare leg, and the dark tattoos that wove an intricate pattern on it. The Woad tattooist she had asked to do them had refused her at first. Telling her that a tattoo on the inners of a woman's leg would displease the gods and goddesses alike. But, the tip of her sword had finally convinced the man to do her bidding. Shifting slightly, Lirianna pulled at the hem of her garment, letting the red fabric cover her indecency.

"I must beg you not to tell anyone", she said hurriedly, her eyes pleading with his for his silence.

"I will do as you ask. It is none of my affairs. But I must ask, why? Why have you not told anyone? Why do you pretend to be a Woad? They were once the enemies of your own people."

She rose then, to cross the space and stand nearer to the flames of the fire. "My father had many enemies. And therefore so do I. I do not trust easily, for it can easily get you killed. The Woads took me in, when my father's supposedly loyal man meant to rape and then sell me to the Saxons these many years ago. If it had not been for them, I would be dead by now." She turned around from the fire to face him, "They are all I have left in this world now. When you owe your life to a people, when you have lived with them for so long, nothing else matters. Not blood, not past feuds, nothing. The Woads are my family now, just as these knights are yours. Would you not do everything in your power to save them from a certain fate worse than death?"

Dagonet looked hard at the woman before him. She was a sight to behold. The flames shone around her body like a holy light. Her dark curls floated as wild and free as the wind. And her eyes, those almond shaped strange colored eyes of hers bespoke of her royalty. She was strong, and brave, and true. And never had he met a woman quite like her.

"I would", he finally said. "But I would first want to know, what exactly it is I am up against."

"The Saxons", she growled, her eyes becoming hard, cold amethyst stones in her pale face with the mention of the name. Striding back to him, she sat down, closer this time and told him all that Merlin had spoken to her of.

Dagonet stared into the fire. "The Saxons are closing in on us already. I can feel it. We may not have to wait until we reach the Wall to fight them."

"I know. And if that is the case, then so be it. But it does not stop the fear in my heart from coming."

He looked down into her suddenly vulnerable, and very young face. She was a scout, a warrior, a princess, and a full-blown stunning woman. But right there, it that moment, she was nothing more than a child. A very frightened, very alone child, who had no idea of what move to make next. A sudden urge came upon him. Bending close to her, he kissed her forehead lightly, fatherly.

"Do not worry tonight, Liri. You must get some rest. And so must I. Lucan will be wondering where I have gotten to", he said the last part with a fond smile. He was definitely getting attached to the boy.

Lirianna gave him a jaded, half-hearted smile herself, before snuggling down into the furs as was his command. The last thing she was aware of before surrendering finally to sleep once more, was the protective figure that loomed at the doorway, waiting on her to return to dreams.


End file.
